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Beginning orthodontic treatment

January 19th, 2024

The day has come to start your orthodontic treatment. A large percentage of the world's population has experienced anxiety or nerves not knowing what to feel after leaving the orthodontist's office. So don't feel alone.

But I will tell you a little about what you might feel, although it will depend on each person. There are those who may feel some slight discomfort that is mostly due to the same process of adaptation to the appliances, in this case, the braces.

If you have a little chafing or intraoral lesions, let me tell you that they are totally normal. Therefore, Dr. Anna Salas will advise you that to alleviate and prevent them, the use of orthodontic wax will be your best ally. You should take this wax with you everywhere you go because, you never know when a wire might bother you.

Decades ago, braces used to be quite uncomfortable, painful to wear and even caused injuries inside the mouth, causing sores. In addition, they were unsightly because of how big they were and, as they were commonly worn by teenagers and young adults, they were often not what they liked the most as they felt they were losing their self-esteem.

But as everything evolves, orthodontics did not lag behind. Today, brackets are more discreet, smaller and are attached to each tooth and molar. This makes patients adapt faster to the process and it is possible to feel something strange and uncomfortable in the mouth during the first three or four days, but believe us, it disappears quickly.

The important thing is that at the beginning of orthodontic treatment and during the process, maintain excellent oral hygiene, control your diet and avoid hard or chewy foods, attend monthly visits, and follow the advice that Dr. Anna Salas will give to ensure that the process is successful.

Aligners: enjoy the beautiful smile you have always wanted

September 16th, 2023

They are a clear braces and a good alternative for adults and teenagers who are looking for a more aesthetic option than braces. Aligners are a newer form of orthodontic treatment that can correct misalignment issues without braces. It works to move your teeth into the proper position gently and gradually.

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) explains that “Like traditional braces, clear aligners are designed to move teeth a little at a time. The aligners are plastic replicas of your teeth. Wearing them puts gentle pressure on the teeth, ever-so-slightly repositioning them. Clear aligners are one of many technological advancements that have made orthodontic treatment less conspicuous and one of many “appliances” orthodontists use to move teeth and align jaws to create a healthy, beautiful smile”.

Advantage:

-Comfortable. You can remove them to eat so no food will stick to them.

-They are almost invisible. As they are transparent and adapt to your teeth, people will hardly notice them because you can speak normally. What they will see is a change in your smile once you are finishing your treatment.

-No emergencies. Since there are no wires, there won't be any pieces that will come off.

-Shorter and more spaced views. By not having to change wires or bond any brackets, checkups with Dr. Salas are shorter. She will plan the next visit, which could be between 6 and 8 weeks depending on the situation.

Things you can do to take care of your Invisalign:
1. Rinse the aligner under lukewarm water that isn't too hot or too cold.
2. Brush your aligners with a clear liquid soap to remove any debris or food particles that have accumulated during the day.
3. If you are taking your Invisalign out to eat or drink, develop the habit of putting them back in their case.

Remember, they have become more and more popular in recent years, and right now it's in everyone's teeth. This is a new technology that straightens your teeth, but it's not visible to others. It’s never too late to get the smile you’ve always wanted. You would love it!

Goodbye to dental impressions

July 12th, 2023

Today, thanks to technological advances, dentists have the intraoral scanner that allows them to take a digital impression of the mouth in a precise way, through the emission of a light source on the patient's jaws without any radiation.

This latest generation device has replaced dental impressions. It offers an instant 3D image replacing the plaster casts, providing data of interest for diagnosis and predicting the treatment to be followed and its results.

This diagnostic tool has a touch screen computer system that takes detailed images of the anatomical structures of the oral cavity that are then displayed on the touch screen in a three-dimensional image. “It will show cavities, fractured teeth, the presence of calculus, and the current position of the pieces, offering the patient results that are easier to understand. It also helps to improve the Smile design in Orthodontic treatments (retainers and palatal appliances), brackets, and invisible aligners, also for the creation of Dental Prosthesis, Dental Veneers, Crowns on implants, Overlay Inlays, Inlays and Onlays, among others.

The benefits of this digital technique are:

  • Scan the teeth shortly.
  • Show a 3D image of the patient´s mouth.
  • Better result.
  • Greater patient comfort.
  • No reflux. Sensation.
  • Provides an accurate diagnosis of other defects.

Orthodontic treatment depends on your case

May 10th, 2023

Orthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that deals with preventing, diagnosing, intercepting and treating the incorrect and detrimental position of teeth and bones and the way they relate to each other.

No matter what age a patient is, it is never too late to take positive action to achieve not only oral health with straight teeth, but to achieve the beautiful smile you've always wanted.

To find out if you need orthodontic treatment, we advise you to make an appointment with Dr. Anna Maria Salas. She is a specialist in the area and through a clinical examination, panoramic x-ray and other studies can analyze the dentition in its entirety and determine what is the most appropriate treatment depending on your case.

However, there are patients who ask what are the ideal appliances to correct the bad position of the teeth. Well, the famous braces. It does not matter if they are the traditional metal brackets or the porcelain ones. Also, there are the new generation (splints) that are removable and transparent, if you are looking for aesthetic and mechanisms of tooth movement.

But depending on the case, Dr. Salas will tell you which one is best suited for your needs

It should be noted that the speed of treatment does not depend on the type of orthodontic appliance we use, but on the case to be treated and the patient's responsibility (keeping appointments and complying with the recommendations). Missing an appointment will delay treatment.

Another concern that patients have is thinking that orthodontics hurts. Putting on a bracket is not painful. It is possible that the first few days they may feel pressure on the teeth and in some cases discomfort in the gums from the rubbing of the braces while they get used to them (orthodontic waxes can be applied to the points where they bother us some little boils). If you apply another type of appliance, such as removable braces, you will not really feel any difference, just observe how the teeth straighten.